Week of 12/9/24 - 12/13/24

Week of 12/9/24 - 12/13/24 

Good afternoon,  

 

Please find the updates for the week ahead below. Have a great weekend!  

 

Positive Principal Calls: Ring...ring... We are excited to introduce a new PBIS initiative called "Positive Principal Calls" at KPS! Teachers will be submitting reports highlighting the academic, behavioral, and social achievements of our students, and I will be making phone calls home to share the wonderful progress and hard work of your child. Our goal is to celebrate their successes and keep you connected to the positive growth happening in our classrooms. 

KPSPTO Snowflake Gift Shop: The KPSPTO Snowflake Gift Shop will be open from December 10th – December 12th. On 12/10 and 12/11, it’ll be open from 9 AM – 3 PM for students. On December 12th, it’ll be open from 9 AM – 11:30 AM and 6 – 8:00 PM.  

KPS Spirit Day on December 20th: Students can wear their favorite PJs or holiday attire.  

Report Cards: Report cards will go live on Home Access on December 9th, 2024 by 3 PM.  

Parent Teacher Conferences: Thursday, December 12th, will be a half day for students. Bus dismissal will start at 12:00 PM with cafeteria pick-ups starting at 11:45 AM. Friday, December 13th, will also be a half day for students. Bus dismissal will start at 12:00 PM with cafeteria pick-ups starting at 11:45 AM.  

Although we understand that the virtual option may allow for greater flexibility for parents, we want to ensure that parents are aware that if there is a need, a parent can request that they meet with their child’s teacher in person.  

Your child's teacher will be reaching out so you can schedule your virtual conference directly with them. If there is a request to meet in person, please reach out directly to the teacher so that alternative arrangements can be made. We look forward to our continued partnership. 

Winter Reminder: As the temperatures begin to drop, please prepare your students with jackets, gloves, hats, and any other winter apparel so that they stay warm getting on/off the bus and during recess. If students do not have proper winter attire, they may be unable to go outside for recess.  

Attendance: Consistent attendance is essential to every student’s success. Our attendance policy is supported by the New York State Department which defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10 percent of school days; a total of 18 days throughout the school year. With our commitment to student success in mind, we are steadfast in our obligation to notify families of their child’s attendance to ensure that they are able to access their education.    

Attendance letters are mailed home periodically throughout the school year as another means to notify parents/guardians of their child’s attendance. These letters are informational and serve as a reminder that a student's success is in direct correlation to their attendance rates. All students of a compulsory age are required to be in school. If a student is absent due to illness, a parent note and/or doctor note is required for the absence to be deemed "excused." The chronic absenteeism definition of missing 18 days or more throughout the school year is regardless of whether absences are excused or unexcused.   

  Carmel Central School District is dedicated to the success of its students, and we would like to thank you for your continued support as we help shape our students and create a foundation where they can thrive. 

 

Sincerely, 

Vincent Fino  

KPS Principal  

Kent Primary School logo #2

 

Students of the Week: 12/9/24 - 12/13/24

Congratulations to our Eagle Ticket winners! 

       

   

Latest KPS Headlines

  • Kindness is Contagious at Kent Primary School

    Every day this month at Kent Primary School started with a dose of kindness.  

    When they see a classmate being kind, students of all grades submit kindness “Snippets” to a “Kindness Jar” across from the school office. Each day, Principal Vincent Fino picks a few snippets – or notes that describe the good deeds they’ve witnessed-- to read during morning announcements.  

    On a recent day, Fino told the students about these good deeds:  

    “I saw Joey show kindness today by letting me play with him.”  

    “I saw Riley show kindness today by giving me a tissue when I was crying.” 

    I saw Michael show kindness by helping Arthur up when he fell.”  

    This is not just a Thanksgiving holiday effort. It is part of the district’s philosophy of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, or PBIS. Administrators celebrate students when they show good character or kindness. It is a strategy they use to make good behavior contagious, and it's an essential part of the Carmel 6 Cs. 

    Read more and see more photos

    Kent Primary School News

  • A Spooky Way to Learn

    For the week before Halloween, the Kent Primary School gymnasium becomes a Spooky Obstacle Course. The gym is set up with inflatable monsters, Minions, tunnels, ghosts and more.

    With all the laughter and excitement in the gym, it might have been hard to tell that there was real skill-building going on. But learning while having fun was just the point.

    “The students learned to navigate the obstacle course using physical skills like over, under through, in and out,” said Physical Education Teacher Rochelle Lhotan. “It also helps them learn to follow rules. They know to take one swing and stop, climb in and out of the donut and crawl like a puppy dog through the tunnel.”

    It’s hard to beat the feeling of flying through the air.

    “I liked the Lava Jump,” said Cooper, a kindergartner in Jennifer Byrd’s class. “It’s so fun. When I landed on the mattress, I did a flip.

    Read more and see more photos

    Kent Primary School News

  • Thankful for Senior Citizens

    The Senior Thanksgiving Luncheon sponsored by The Carmel Teachers’ Association was a big success with the guests praising the traditional turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables and, of course, pumpkin pie.  

    Most of all, however, the senior citizens who came to Carmel High School, George Fischer Middle School and Matthew Paterson Elementary School were glad to return to schools that many of their children (and some of them) attended and to see friends from the throughout the community. 

    “We love our seniors,” said Alice Holzmann, the Family and Consumer Science teacher at George Fischer Middle School. “And they love this event.” 

    Read more and see more photos

    District News

  • Students Write with Their Senses

    “A few years ago, my mom and I made bread,” Liara wrote. “It was so fluffy, and I remember it came out soft. I couldn’t wait to eat it.  I carried the flour to the counter. It was so heavy it felt like a huge weight on my hands. “It’s so heavy,” I exclaimed.  

    Fourth grader Liara grabbed her teacher’s attention with those opening lines of her Food Experience story.   

    “To write the Food Experience story, the students had to use sensory details and tell what things looked and felt like, and how they smelled and tasted,” said Amy Constantinides, who teaches fourth grade at Kent Primary School. “They also had to organize events in sequential order. It’s a good writing experience.” 

    The lesson stems from the Carmel Central School District’s new reading program Core Knowledge Language Arts, or CKLA. The district implemented the program last year in kindergarten through fifth grades with an extension of the program in sixth grade. The approach is based on research into the science of reading, which has shown that students have greater success when rules for phonics, decoding and writing are explicitly spelled out, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Lauren Santabarbara said.     

    Read more and see more photos

    Kent Primary School News

  • A Thank You to the Board of Education

    The week of October 14 is School Board Recognition Week, but Superintendent of Schools Dr. Erin Meehan-Fairben thanked the Board of Education for their service a few days early, during the Board of Ed meeting on Octobert 8th. 
    "I know we are a little early, but I just wanted to take the chance to thank you for all you do," Dr. Fairben said. 
    Then she showed a surprise video that was created by students in Tim Raney’s Video Production class at Carmel High School, who included children from all five school buildings.    
    CHS Senior Kasey Carboy led the project. She wrote the outline, filmed and edited the video, which was her first project as lead.
    Seniors Ivy Kolovik and Dan Fanceschi assisted Kasey with filming at the various school buildings. 
     
    District News

  • A Classroom Constitution

    To celebrate Constitution Day on September 17, the students in Andrea Shaver’s second grade class came up with a constitution for their classroom.  

    “Teaching the Constitution is part of the district curriculum,” said Shaver, who teaches at Kent Primary School. “It makes sense for me at the beginning of the year to link our class rules with it. We talk so much about being good citizens and about how to take care of one another.” 

    To introduce the subject, Shaver read “We the Kids” by David Catrow, a picture book that lays out the Preamble to the Constitution in language children can understand. It even includes a glossary that explains the words in the Preamble.  

    The book is filled with funny illustrations that make the children want to read it again and again and, as they do, they learn the ideals that America was founded upon. 

    Read more and see more photos

    Kent Primary School News

  • Principal Vincent Fino Leads the Way at KPS

    When he is not providing leadership and support for the students at Kent Primary School, Principal Vincent Fino might be found running on one of the bike trails around town. Fino, who took over as principal of the primary school on July 1, logs 35 to 40 miles a week.  

    “It helps me unwind at the end of the day,” Fino said. “I like to be outdoors in the fresh air and Carmel is so beautiful.” 

    Fino hit the ground running in his new position, too. He is already setting up ways to support young students in reading and math and is busy planning creative strategies to highlight the positive behaviors that Kent Primary students display every day.  

    “I believe in positive behavioral interventions,” Fino said. “We want to highlight students when they are exemplifying good character and kindness toward others.”  

    Read more

    Kent Primary School News

  • A Carmel Graduate Gives Back

    Come October, Chris DeChent will have worked in the Carmel Schools for 20 years. But that anniversary does not even include the time he worked in the district before graduating from Carmel High School in 2004.  

    DeChent, the Information Systems Technician, started helping out with district technology when he was in Carmel High School. By tenth grade he had a summer internship in the IT department and, later, an after-school job.  

    “In high school I was always the student ready to jump in and help the teacher if the computer had a problem or the projector wasn’t working,” DeChent said. “I enjoyed building computers, understanding how they worked, and figuring out how to repair them. My name became known to the IT department and they let me help out. I started here full time after graduation.” 

    DeChent credits his teachers with encouraging his interests and talents.  

    Read more

    District News
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Announcements

  • School Dismissal Manager is here! Download & begin using the APP.

    All parents should have received their credentials via email.  Please check your SPAM/Junk email if you have not.  If you still cannot find the email, please contact Mrs. Murray in the Main Office at 845-225-5025 X342.  We already began using this application for dismissal changes, and it is working beautifully.  Take advantage of this "soft launch!"  In the fall, use of this application will be mandatory for all students' dismissal changes.  

    For an overview, please see The School Dismissal Manager Website

    Kent Primary School
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Quick Links

Upcoming Events

  • Early Dismissal (Elementary Only)

    Early Dismissal (Elementary Only) 

    Elementary Parent-Teacher Conferences

    Carmel Central School District

  • KPS Parent Teacher Conferences

    Afternoon and Evening Conferences 

    Your child's teacher will be reaching out so you can schedule your virtual conference directly with them. If there is a request to meet in person, please reach out directly to the teacher so that alternative arrangements can be made. We look forward to our continued partnership.

    Kent Primary School

  • KPS Family Snowflake

    Kent Primary School

  • Early Dismissal (Elementary Only)

    Early Dismissal (Elementary Only)

    Parent-Teacher Conferences

    Carmel Central School District

  • KPS Parent Teacher Conferences

    Afternoon Conferences

    Your child's teacher will be reaching out so you can schedule your virtual conference directly with them. If there is a request to meet in person, please reach out directly to the teacher so that alternative arrangements can be made. We look forward to our continued partnership.

    Kent Primary School
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Kent Primary School Mission Statement

We are a community that is dedicated to developing and inspiring children to be their best selves in all aspects of their lives.

Who We Are:
We are a cohesive community of professionals with a strong sense of family that possess, celebrate and share our unique and individual strengths. We share a common focus to help, facilitate and encourage young minds to grow and fulfill their potential. As facilitators of learning, we utilize a multitude of resources to model and promote these desired outcomes. A strong cohesive community.

What We Do:
As an academic institution we contribute to the development of minds through inspiring children to create and pursue their own goals and objectives. We accomplish this by creating a welcoming, nurturing and trusting environment for all that empowers children to work alongside their peers, regardless of limitations, ultimately becoming independent lifelong learners.  Foster personal and academic growth.

Who We Do It For:
Our service is focused on the children who will develop a solid foundation of skills, knowledge and values, maximizing their individual potential along the way. This will in turn contribute to the perpetual improvement of society. Our children.

Why We Do It:
As we practice our deep commitment to learning, we accept the roles we fulfill because we understand that children require a safe, positive environment in which to develop into self-motivated and socially appropriate adults. We realize that fulfilling these responsibilities has an even greater benefit to all of us as a growing and ever evolving global community. To inspire children to be their best in all aspects of their lives